Cultivating Tractors and Implements for Weed Management

Photo Gallery:
Cultivating tractors & implements
for weed management, specialized
tillage, & seeding
Eero Ruuttila
Sustainable Agriculture Educator
Cultivating tractors
The cultivating tractor, at 16-30 horsepower, is designed for
attaching belly or mid-mount toolbars w/live hydraulics for
a wide assortment of cultivating implements. Tractor
engines are either off-set in the front end, allowing the
tractor operator partial sightlines of bed-rows ahead or
rear-mounted, allowing for a full range of vision of
cultivators and vegetables in front of the tractor. Most of
the fleet of cultivating tractors available to American
vegetable growers were manufactured during the 1960’s to
mid-1980’s. The Allis Chalmers-G (rear-mounted engine) &
Farmall Cubs (off-set) were built a decade or two earlier.
The 18 hp rear-engine Tuff-bilt, similar to the Allis-Chalmers
G are currently custom manufactured out of a small facility
in Alabama.
With the exception of Tuff-bilts or more expensive “toolcarrier” tractors manufactured in Europe such as the
Mazzotti Multi 400, growers seeking a cultivating tractor
need to locate used models manufactured 30-60 years
ago. There are a handful of models to try to locate. Off-set
or rear-engine cultivating tractor models to look for
include: Kubota HC245, John Deere HC900, Ford 1710
Offset, Case 265, Farmall 140, and the letter series
Farmalls (Super A, B, Super C, H, & Super M). Older
models often do not have live hydraulics or 3-point
hitches.
The following slides illustrate a number of used
cultivating tractors on current working farms in
Connecticut & Massachusetts. They demonstrate the
diverse universe of tool bars, brackets, cultivating, &
seed planting implements regional farmers utilize in
order to more efficiently grow vegetable cash crops.
Kubota 245 w/belly mounted 3-row Buddingh basket
cultivators
Kubota 245 w/toolbar for mounting cultivating
implements
Ground-driven “Spyder”cultivators; they can be
mounted on belly or rear-end toolbars.
Allis Chalmers G w/belly mounted basket cultivators
(note: unobstructed view of crop rows for tractor
operator).
Rear view of Allis Chalmers G w/3 point hitch
cultivating sweeps for managing weeds in tire track
area between vegetable beds.
Buddingh wire basket cultivators w/spacing gap(s) for
vegetable-crop rows
Photo illustrates “precision” disturbance of whitethread-stage weeds by basket cultivators for lettuce
transplants.
Spyders & sweeps mounted on toolbar (note different
mount brackets).
Allis Chalmers G conversion from gas powered engine
to electric [Riverbank Farm, Roxbury, CT].
Farm manufactured frame extension bracket for Allis
Chalmers G [Riverbank Farm]
Allis-G electric cultivating tractor (front tires extended
to match rear tire tracks)
Ford 1710 w/7-row Buddingh basket cultivators
Ford 1710 Offset Tractor
Rear view of Ford 1710 (note: high clearance toolbar &
spring-loaded sweeps for cultivating tire tracks).
Case 265 High Clearance off-set tractor w/belly
mounted baskets + rear-mount flex-tine cultivators.
Front-view of Case 265 tractor (here marking beds for
laying plastic mulch).
Operator’s view of basket cultivators; engine blocks left
side view of direct-seeded greens… not a problem as
long as operator aligns baskets to visible rows.
Operator’s view of emerging direct seeded lines of
greens + shallow, close cultivation w/baskets.
Another view of the alignment of basket cultivators &
emerging direct-seeded greens
Rear view of Case 265 utilizing flex tine Williams cultivator to
cover broadcast oats for establishing living mulch strips
between tomato beds.
International Farmall 140, popular off-set mid-mount
cultivating tractor manufactured in the early 60’s.
Front-view of Farmall 140 cultivating tractor
Toolbar brackets and Spyder cultivators mounted on a
Farmall 140.
18hp Tuff-bilt cultivating tractor manufactured in 2014
(note: spacing of front & rear tires set to match inside
wheel tracks)
Tuff-bilt tractor & rear-mounted 18 hp gas-powered
Kohler engine (Subedge Farm Farmington, CT)
Vintage Planet Junior seeder on rear toolbar
Seed drill markings on 3 row beds from Planet Jr.
Yang seeders on rear-mount toolbar
John Deere 900HC tractor [Provider Farm Salem, CT]
John Deere 900HC w/gauge wheels & cultivating
sweeps mounted to rear tool bar
Unverferth 2-row Zone Builder for preparing narrow
seedbeds through stubble for transplants or direct seed
Rear view of Zone Builder machine
Shank for opening soil & coulters for cutting a shallow
furrow on Zone Builder machine
Direct-seeded pumpkins utilizing DZT machine
strips cut into winter rye stubble
Close-up of seed furrow strip cut into winter rye
stubble
Shop fabricated flame weeder. The frame & deck supports the
propane tank. Absence of a deck shield lessens back draft of
wind-driven flames.
Rear-view of flamer mounted w/3-point hitch.
Frame w/tabs to attach 3 point hitch to flamer
Pressure gauge & valves for liquid gas lines. Have
installed & inspected by a professional.
Direct seeded salad greens following 2 cultivations w/a
basket weeder [Siena Farms]
Additional resources:
•
Excellent site for locating used tractors & implements: www.TractorHouse.com
•
“Vegetable Farmers and their Weed-Control Machines.”
75-minute educational video on weed cultivation and flaming equipment,
featuring 9 farms in 3 Northeastern states. Produced by: Vern Grubinger,
University of Vermont Extension, Mary Jane Else, University of Massachusetts
Extension. With funding from: Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education (SARE), USDA. Available for purchase for $15 postpaid from the UVM
Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 63 Carrigan Dr., Burlington VT 05405.
Sample view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuEFo7-FkD0
•
European links for state of the art cultivating tractors & implements:
www.kress-landtechnik.de; www.steketee.com; www.mazzotti.it.
•
Custom fabricated basket cultivators: www.basketweeder.com
•
Michigan farm equipment dealer specializing in used cultivating tractors &
implements: www.roetersfarmequipment.com
•
High density seed planters: www.suttonag.com
•
Tuff-bilt cultivating tractors and implements: www.tuff-bilt.com